Print Form
Open Public Records Act (OPRA)
Access to Atlantic County Public Records and the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)
The Open Public Records Act became effective on July 7, 2002. It amended the prior Right to Know Law. Under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), members of the public may have access to public records held by Atlantic County.
Information on OPRA
The underlying purpose of OPRA is to provide that government records, with certain exceptions, be available for public inspection and copying. Not all records are disclosable under OPRA. Exceptions to public accessibility are based on such principles as the following:
- A reasonable expectation of privacy by citizens regarding records in the possession of a public agency
- Public safety concerns
- The need to foster unrestrained discussion and consideration of issues inside public agencies.
The State of New Jersey established the Government Records Council to assist in disseminating information about OPRA. Visit their website for more information on your right to obtain records under OPRA.
You may also contact the council by phone at its toll free information line: 866-850-0511, or by mail to:
Government Records Council
P. O. Box 819
Trenton, NJ 08625
Informal Requests for County Records
Routine requests for documents may still be made informally, directly to the holder of the record you are seeking. However, informal requests are not governed by OPRA. If the holder of the record you are seeking believes that a formal request would be more appropriate, they may request that you file an Atlantic County Request for Government Records Form with the Custodian of Records for Atlantic County.
Requests Under OPRA for County Records
You may also direct your initial request to the Custodian of Records by using the Atlantic County Request for Government Records Form. In order for the request to be covered by the Open Public Records Act, the Atlantic County Request for Government Records Form must be submitted to the Custodian in person, by mail, or by fax at 609-343-2373, by email, or by using our online request form. The form is available as a downloadable pdf file from the link on this page (left) or from the Custodian at:
Atlantic County Custodian of Records
Department of Law
1333 Atlantic Ave. 8th floor
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: 609-343-2279
Fax: 609-594-3718
opra@atlantic-county.org
Please be specific when requesting documents. If you know which County office has the records you want, please include that information. Also, indicate a date or time frame for the documents you want. Provide any information that would assist the Custodian in determining what specific documents you are seeking.
Frequently Requested Documents
Other County Agencies
Some county agencies have their own Custodian of Records. They are the following:
- County Prosecutor
- County Clerk
- County Sheriff
- Board of Elections
- Superintendent of Elections
- Superintendent of Schools
- Board of Taxation
- Atlantic Cape Community College
- Atlantic County Improvement Authority
- Atlantic County Utilities Authority
The County Surrogate is subject to the Court rules on disclosure. Contact these entities directly for their records.
Note: All records for the following agencies are handled by the OPRA custodian for the agency listed. All OPRA requests for these agencies should be submitted to the agency directly. For those agencies marked with an asterisks (*) you can use the on-line form by following the link at the top of this page.
Atlantic Cape Community College
Custodian: Eileen Curristine
(609) 343-5610
ecurrist@atlantic.edu
Atlantic County Improvement Authority
Custodian: Timothy Edmunds
(609) 343-2390
edmunds_timothy@aclink.org
Atlantic County Utilities Authority
Custodian: Lisa Duffner
(609) 272-6929
Board of Elections
Custodians:
Bill Sacchinelli, (609) 645-5888 sacchinelli_bill@aclink.org
Jenna Baruffi, (609) 645-5893 baruffi_jenna@aclink.org
Board of Taxation*
Custodian: Thersea Prendergast
(609) 909-5844
prendergast_theresa@aclink.org
Office of the County Clerk*
Custodian: Mike Sommers
(609) 625-4011
(609) 909-5111 (Fax)
sommers_mike@aclink.org
Office of the Prosecutor
Custodian: Chief Assistant Prosecutor Courtney Cittadini
(609) 909-7966
OPRA@acpo.org
Sheriff's Office*
Custodian: Tracy Amici
(609) 909-7234
ACSOoprarequest@aclink.org
Superintendent of Elections*
Custodian: Maureen Bugdon
(609) 345-6700, Ext. 2245
bugdon_maureen@aclink.org
Superintendent of Schools*
Custodian: Kelly Cotter
(609) 625-0004, Ext. 6151
cotter_kelly@aclink.org
Surrogate's Court Judge, Deputy Clerk of Superior Court, Chancery Division - Probate Part
Documents from the Surrogates Office are not subject to OPRA regulations. For information, please visit the Surrogate's Office web page or contact the office directly.
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
Windows Media Player
Word Viewer
Excel Viewer
PowerPoint Viewer
